Balancing exerciser platform with shock absorber means



1968 R. s. MORGAN ETAL 3,416,792

BALANCING EXERCISER PLATFORM WITH SHOCK ABSORBER MEANS Filed Feb. 4,1966 Robert 5. Morgan James 7? Williams v INVENTORS United States Patent3,416,792 BALANCING EXERCISER PLATFORM WITH SHOCK ABSORBER MEANS RobertS. Morgan, 59 7th St., North Pelham, N.Y. 10803, and James T. Williams,25 Park Ridge Ave., New Rochelle, N.Y. 10805 Filed Feb. 4, 1966, Ser.No. 525,257

7 Claims. (Cl. 272-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portablechannel-shaped self-standing base unit has a flat bottoming web whoseunderneath side is covered by an anti-skid cushion. The vertical flangespivotally support coordinating depending flanges on the median portionof a complemental horizontally elongated rider balancing and rockingplatform. Anti-slipping inwardly converging foot pads are mountedatopend portions of the platform, and unique limit stop leafspring-biased shock absorbing and rebounding devices are mounted beneaththe respective end portions of the platform.

The present invention relates to amusement and exercising devices foryoungsters and has reference to commonly called seesaws orteeter-totters characterized, as usual by a balanced horizontallyelongated platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a relativelystationary support unit and unique in that the opposite end portions ofthe platform are equipped with spring-biased shock absorbing deviceswhich react to the vertical up-and-down movement of the end portions ofthe platform in such a manner that the rider must resort to skill anddexterity to accomplish impressive speed and endurance.

Briefly, the teeter-totter features an adaptation which is characterizedby a relatively short occupant supporting and balancing platform. Thispart can be and preferably is made from stamped or suitably formed sheetmaterial having downturned reinforcing flanges along the edges. Theseflanges overlap and are disposed in spaced parallelism with similarflanges on a sheet metal or equivalent base unit. The base unit ischannel-shaped in cross-section and the flanges of the platform and baseunit are hingedly joined together to provide the desired balancedvertical oscillation of the ends. The end portions of the top areprovided with block-like pads of rubber or the like which have slopingsurfaces so that the feet of the rider can be securely placed thereon sothat the rider can rock from left to right and vice versa to achieve thedesired seesaw motion.

The bottom side of the base supporting and fulcruming base unit ispreferably provided with a rubber or equivalent antislipping surfacewhich can be placed on the ground, floor or other relatively stationaryfoundation so that the teeter-totter can be used successfully eitherindoors or outdoors.

In addition to the foot positioning and retaining pads or blocks at theends, the respective ends of the platform are also provided with novelshock absorbing means or devices. For best results it has been foundthat each device may comprise a suitably resilient leaf spring. Theinner or attached end of the spring is provided with a return bend whichis fixedly mounted on the underneath side of the platform. The free endof the leaf spring slopes outwardly and downwardly and is provided witha laminated head, the laminations thereof providing platform and surfacestrikers which call for experience and practice in order to achieve thealternating rhythm of motion necessary for a creditable and acceptableperformance on the part of the occupant or rider.

These together with other objects and advantages which 3,416,792Patented Dec. 17, 1968 will become subsequently apparent reside in thedetails of construction and operation as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a teeter-totter constructed inaccordance with the. principles of the present invention and showing howit is constructed and intended to be used by an individual rider;

FIGURE 2. is a view on an enlarged scale which is taken centrallythrough the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view; and

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view.

The portable but relatively stationary base unit or stand is denoted at6. It is of channel-shaped cross-section and embodies -a horizontalbottom or web 8 having vertical spaced parallel upstanding channel wallsor flanges 10. The underneath side is provided with a sheet or ply ofrubber 12 which is of uniform thickness and provides not only a bottombut a satisfactory anti-skid cushion. The platform unit is denoted bythe numeral 14 and is horizontally elongated and comprises a generallyrectangular flat plate 16 whose lengthwise marginal edges are providedwith depending spaced parallel rigidifying flanges 18 havingsector-shaped portions 20 which are disposed alongside of and in spacedparallelism relative to the flanges 10 and are pivotally supported on anassembling and pivoting rod or equivalent pin 21 held in place bysuitable washers and cotter keys in the manner suggested in FIGS. 1 and2. The end portions of the platform plate project beyond and overhangthe corresponding end portions of the centrally positioned base unit 6.While it would be Within the purview of this invention to provide seatsat the ends and to make the device sufficiently large that two riderscould be entertained simultaneously, it is presently the hereindisclosed idea to make the platform or board just long enough for onerider to stand thereon in the manner shown in phantom lines (FIG. 1) andteeter 'or rock back and forth. For best results each end portion isprovided on its upper side with an anti-skid foot pad for locating thefoot of the rider. This pad comprises a generally rectangular non-skidrubber or an equivalent block 22 which is of a length to extendtransversely across the surface of the platform and which is secured byfasteners 24. The top surface 26 of the block or pad is inclinedinwardly and downwardly to provide a position of use as shown in FIG. 1.

It will be noted that the tiltable supporting and balancing platform,the plate portion 16 for example, is not only provided at its ends withthe feet holding and orienting pads 22, each end is provided with apressure responsive springy or spring-loaded shock absorbing device 28.Both shock absorbing devices are in the same relation with respect toeach cooperating end portion of the platform and each such device islocated in line with the cooperating transverse edge portion 29 of theplate. Each shock absorber is characterized by a stainless steel orequivalent flexible and yieldable spring, more particularly a leafspring which has an upper end portion 30 formed with a return bend orbent portion which is superimposed on and welded or otherwise fixedlyconnected to the underneath side of the coacting part of the plate. Theoutwardly downwardly inclined major portion of the leaf spring, denotedat 32, has its free end terminating substantially beneath the edge 29 ofthe plate. This free end portion is provided (1) with a laminated upperor buffer head which has an upper rectangular block-like compressiblyresilient rubber or an equivalant abutment 34 secured by a bolt and nut36 to a spacing shim 38 and (2) a lower block-like compressiblyresilient or an equivalent abutment 40. The surface of the lowerabutment which is opposed to and comes into contact with the ground orother support surface 42 is chamfered or beveled so that when theplatform is horizontal and level the contact surface of the abutment 40is spaced above and is parallel with the support surface 42. The angleor sloping pitch of the portion 32 of the leaf spring serves to cant theabutment 34 to the normal state or position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2in particular. When, however, the platform is swung down, that is ateither end and when the surface of the abutment 40 engages the supportsurface 42, the surface of the top or upper abutment 34 comes intocontact with the underneath side of the platform plate. With the shockabsorbers 28 thus constructed and interrelated with respect to eachother and the end portions of the platform it will be seen that they arealternatively or intermittently operable and that as the end portions ofthe platform are angled toward the surface 42, the shock absorbersprovide limit stops while the inherent return spring action comes intoplay to assist in returning the platform to its normal generallyhorizontal state or position.

It will be evident that a teeter-totter constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention well serves the unique purposesfor which it has been devised and put to use. In addition to each unit 6and 14 being structurally unique in and of itself, it will be seen thatthe over-all device is an innovation because of the incorporationtherein of the inwardly and downwardly toed pads 22 and the underlyingspring-based shock absorbing devices 28.

Experimental use of the herein disclosed teeter-totter with end-typeshocking-absorbing devices ensures the rider of a balancing thrill notattainable in similarly constructed and performing teeter-totters. Itfollows that the herein disclosed device is a novel contribution to theart of teeter-totter-type amusement and exercising devices.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device for amusing and exercising a youngster while standing up andat the same time rocking back and forth from left to right and viceversa comprising: a portable base unit, a horizontally elongatedsupporting and balancing platform providing a teeter-totter andpositively pivoted intermediate its ends atop said base for verticaloscillation and provided atop its end portions with means toaccommodatingly position and reliably hold the feet of the occupantrider, spring-biased shock absorbing devices carried by and locatedbeneath said end portions, each shock absorbing device comprising a leafspring having one end affixed to an underneath surface of said platform,the other end of said spring having a terminal head structure embodyinga first abutment capable of striking said underneath surface.

2. The device according to claim 1, and wherein said base unit ishorizontally elongated and channel-shaped in cross-section and embodiesa bottoming web having an anti-skid cushion attached to its underneathsupport contacting side, and also embodies a pair of vertical upstandingflanges, the intermediate portion of the underneath side of saidplatform having a pair of depending lengthwise flanges paralleling,straddling and pivotally joined to said first-named flanges.

3. The device according to claim 1, and wherein each means atop the endportions comprises an anti-slipping foot pad afiixed atop thecooperating terminal end portion.

4. The device according to claim 1, and wherein each means atop the endportions comprises an anti-slipping foot pad affixed atop thecooperating terminal end portion, said pad comprising a block ofcompressibly resilient rubber which is wedge-shape in cross-section, theupwardly facing tread surfaces of said blocks sloping inwardly anddownwardly toward the coacting top surface of said platform to assistthe rider to occupy and retain a sure-footed stance while standing androcking from left to right and vice versa.

5. The device according to claim 1, and wherein each shock absorbingdevice also embodies a second abutment located in a plane of operationbelow the plane of operation of said first abutment and adapted tointermittently contact the ground or other relatively stationaryfoundation surface.

6. The combination according to claim 5, and wherein each abutmentcomprises a substantially rectangular block of compressibly resilientrubber.

7. A device for amusing and exercising a youngster while standing up andat the same time rocking back and forth from left to right and viceversa comprising: a portable base unit, a horizontally elongatedsupporting and balancing platform constituting a teetertotter andpositively pivoted intermediate its ends atop said base for verticaloscillation and provided atop its end portions with means toaccommodatingly position and reliably hold the feet of the occupantrider, spring-biased shock absorbing devices carried by and locatedbeneath said end portions, each shock absorbing device constituting alimit stop for the end portion of the platform with which it iscooperable, each device comprising a leaf spring having a return-bentupper end superimposed upon a cooperating surface of the bottom of theend portion of the platform which is complemental thereto, and having adownwardly outwardly slanting end portion terminating in a laminatedhead, the laminations being of elongate block-like form, there being anupper block-like abutment capable of striking an elevated surface of theunderside of the platform, and a lower block-like abutment having asuitably beveled bottom adapted to intermittently engage the ground orother equivalent foundation or support surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,466 2/1933 Pierson 272542,253,996 8/1941 Bechman 272 2,714,007 7/1955 Jordan 27257 2,930,6133/1960 Katz 272-57 2,941,801 6/1960 Pedersen 27270 2,726,845 12/1955Hyslop et al. 27256 XR RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

